Street racing has been a part of American car culture since the invention of the automobile. Over the decades many steps have been taken to try and put a stop or at least reduce street racing as it grew in popularity. Law enforcement tried a heavy handed approach but that just seemed to make rebellious young drivers want to do it more. It seemed over time that the solution that the drivers wanted were more tracks and places to race in a legit fashion since over the last 20 years or so many local tracks and drag strips where racers used to go were shut down. To their credit official sanctioning bodies such as the NHRA worked with local tracks all over the country to organize weekly events that provide a safe place for people to race. However, even that isn’t enough to lure everyone away from racing on the streets. This fact inspired a new show on the Discovery Channel called “Street Outlaws.”

Street Outlaws focuses on the illegal street racing scene in Oaklahoma City and features the drivers, cars, and shops who regularly participate in races, sometimes for money but mostly bragging rights. Many of the shows racers aspire to get on “the list” as in an unofficial list of the top 10 fastest street racers in the area. In just four seasons the show has gained a sizable audience and the Street Outlaws official Facebook page has reached over a million likes. Some of the show regulars even make celebrity appearances at events like car shows and conventions.

Now, the NHRA is threatening to take away official racing privileges from any officially licensed driver who is on the show and participates in a street race.

One of the regulars on the show Justin Shearer AKA “Murder Nova” posted a warning letter he got from the NHRA on his Facebook page stating that his participation on the show violates the sanctioning body’s rules of conduct and if he continues his competition license will be “suspended indefinitely”. One would think that Mr. “Murder Nova” would be none too pleased over this action but it seems that he is actually happy about it as this issue is helping gain even more attention for the already popular show in which he is a part of.

So far, we haven’t heard about anyone officially losing their NHRA competition license yet but we plan to reach out to both the NHRA, the Discovery Channel, and Pilgrim Studios (the production team behind the show) for any further comment and we will update this story as it develops. In the meantime let us know what you think. Is the NHRA right to make a stand against their licensees participating in illegal street racing? Do you think the NHRA is over stepping their bounds and making a mountain out of a mole hill? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or tweet to us at @MotorworldHype.

To see the picture of the NHRA letter that Justin posted just click the thumbnail below. You can also watch a short clip below to get a taste of what the show is like.